Rail Partners urges government to clarify how Great British Railways will run the railway as a national network, while facilitating rail devolution

As government finalises plans for its highly anticipated Rail Reform Bill, it needs to square the circle of the Department for Transport’s vision of a single ‘directing mind’ across the railway in the form of Great British Railways (GBR), and the devolution proposals outlined by Angela Rayner in the English Devolution White Paper to move decision making closer to local communities.

Rail Partners chief executive, Andy Bagnall, said:

‘The Transport Secretary is, through the creation of GBR, pursuing a policy of centralisation through public ownership of the railway. So, it will be interesting to see how she chooses to approach calls from local leaders for further devolution, especially given her own previous direct experience as the Deputy Mayor overseeing Transport for London under Sir Sadiq Khan. Both Khan and the Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, have been vocal in their desire for more direct control of transport in their respective regions, and in wanting to bring rail services under their control. How these aspirations can be delivered under a centralised directing mind and single employer, is a significant question that the Rail Reform Bill needs to address.

‘Devolving rail services won’t necessarily be straight forward. Detailed operational issues will need to be worked through on a case-by-case basis, funding arrangements will need to be clarified, and the structure of the railway will need to ensure that GBR treats other operators fairly, including freight and open access operators, as well as devolved services.

‘Devolving control of any rail services will take time, but key decisions on the future structure of the railway are being taken now. As government designs GBR, it will need to facilitate devolution in the future. How GBR interacts with local bodies, while running the railway as a national network, will be key to ensuring devolution is a success. Government must use the coming Rail Reform Bill consultation to solve the big issues on the railway that passengers and taxpayers care about, including how Angela Rayner’s vision for devolution can exist alongside GBR’s centralised control.’

Read more in Rail Partners’ latest blog: https://railpartners.co.uk/latest/blog/rail-devolution-under-great-british-railways-local-control-or-a-directing-mind